Of Dragons and Thieves
by Aspen XIII
Summary: Fate has a funny way of dumping Anzu into relationships nobody dreamed of. Caught between two, or should she say three? men, she is faced with a myrid of life altering decisions.RBAS
1. Chapter 1

I do not own anything of YGO. Okay, maybe two of the English dub dvds- but they were gifts from people who meant well. 

A Bakura&Ryou/Anzu/Seto fic. Why can't a girl have the best of both worlds? Lol.

Thinking- 'Insert thought here'

Talking- "Insert speech here"

Of Dragons and Thieves

Chapter 1

School had been in session for the past three months. People who hadn't seen each other for the month long break, came back to classes to find their places in different clicks, different groups on the social ladder. Thirty days doesn't seem like a long time to anyone- but the winds of change blow where they will, and every school has it's gales.

But like every storm, this one too has an unchanging eye; for one group of friends nothing seemed to be able to alter them. Yugi was still the meek, but strong leader, Jou was still the loud, boisterous garbage disposal, Honda was still the strong pillar of the group, and Anzu the passionate defender. Every morning would find them grouped around Yugi's desk, and most evenings would find the guys hanging out at the Turtle Game Shop. Anzu was juggling an after school job nowadays while continuing her evening dance lessons, which left her little time for socializing. She managed a night a week at the least, though, set aside for her friends.

One thing many people don't realize, is Fate thrives on change. And if things stay the same way too long, it will find a way to shake things up. Unbeknownst to the little group of friends, their lives were about to become Fate's martini.

You'd think they'd be used to it by now.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Every day after school found Anzu walking. A lot. From the school to her work at the local mall (salesperson at the new clothing shop) was approximately two miles. Five hours later found her walking to the local dance studio-too late for the class she qualified for, but the instructors were kind enough to allow her to practice in an empty room. That averaged probably another two miles, not including the workout she received while there. Then she had another four miles through downtown Domino, until she reached her home.

The first couple of nights with this routine found Anzu sleeping on the couch of the living room-after eight miles of walking, plus work and practice, she didn't have the energy to climb upstairs for bed. The next three days she actually made it to her bedroom, and after that she was able to shower and change before bed.

Walking home from practice one night, her routine was slightly knocked off balance by the appearance of a tall, lanky brunette striding next to her. Downtown Domino was home to most major businesses, and she had been walking right past the KC building every night-although midnight was really too late to expect to meet anyone on the streets, or so she had thought.

'Kaiba? What is he doing here? Is he just now getting out of work?' She glanced nervously out of the corner of her eye at the stoic figure beside here. 'I _really_ don't have the energy for a fight right now. I just want to go home-'

But home was another three miles yet. And although he was keeping pace with her (or was she keeping pace with him? She really didn't know.) he had yet to say anything derogatory to her. In fact, he had yet to say anything at all. One mile, then another passed in silence. Barely half a mile from her house, he turned down a side street and was gone.

'That was strange.' Anzu thought, glancing behind her.

Crawling into bed later that night, she put thoughts of Kaiba and his strange behavior behind her. 'After all' she thought 'What are the chances it'll happen again?'

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The next day of school went just like any other. Anzu hung out with the guys between classes and during lunch, paying little attention to the occasional glances she caught of the young CEO. Parting ways once they were let out, Yugi and the others headed for their usual haunt, the Gameshop, and Anzu headed for work.

Midnight found her once more traveling the empty streets of Domino. Surprisingly, thoughts of the previous night were far from her mind, even after passing the entrance to the KC building. Her mind was about an hour behind; still dancing in front of the barre and mirror- her routine needed work, and she was picking out the flaws that she wanted corrected before the next practice.

So when the footsteps behind her finally came to her attention, she didn't immediately react. When she _did_ notice them, pretty loud at this point, the current time of night and the fact she was walking all alone suddenly struck her. Her heart rate increased proportionately as the footsteps grew nearer, so that she had to fight to keep herself from running. 'Act confident' she consoled herself. 'Don't look like an easy prey and you won't be one.' She stiffened her back, held up her head, and stared straight ahead. The footsteps came closer, and she visibly jumped when she glimpsed the edge of a coat beside her; a very familiar coat, now that she thought about it. Looking to her left, she wanted to smack herself in the forehead but figured it would only contribute to her foolish image. 'Oh, it's him.' She sighed in relief.

'Wait a minute- it's _him_. What is he doing here?' She waited with bated breath for some scathing remark-after all, it seemed he rarely missed a chance, no matter how small, to ridicule anyone. However, when she glanced expectantly over at her companion, the only response she received was an arched brow. Both teens faced forward again, turning their attention as one towards their respective destinations once more. They parted ways a little less than half a mile from her house.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

A few months later, Anzu thought nothing of her nightly commute with Kaiba; in the months past, there wasn't a single night she worked that she didn't see him on her way home. The two still had yet to say a word to each other-but that was fine with her. 'It's nice I don't have to walk alone, at least.' The deserted streets of Domino weren't considered dangerous- but any street so late at night wasn't the safest place for anyone alone. 'Perhaps,' she thought one night, crawling into bed 'even _he _doesn't mind a bit of companionship. And it's…nice.'

Nice to be able to be in someone's company that wasn't the guys, for once. Bice to not feel pressured into conversations just to prove she's 'feeling okay' (Jou: "Hey, you're too quiet- ya feeling okay there? Anzu: "For the tenth time- ask me again and this hotdog is going somewhere the sun doesn't shine."(Okay, she might not have said it out loud, but she was sure thinking it _real_ hard)). Nice to be around someone she just…didn't care about keeping up appearances for. Hell, she could do the Macarena around Kaiba; it certainly wouldn't make him think any less of her- they were at rock bottom now.

It was nice to be around someone who wasn't Yami.

A year ago, Jou prodded her into doing something that, for all her bravado, she didn't think she could handle; a declaration of love to someone who once had an entire nation at his feet. Although very kind about it, he did reject her- explaining he knew he wouldn't be here forever, and that it would be unfair for him to leave any more lose ends when he had to depart.

Ouch.

Her first impulse was embarrassment, then a bit of hurt. Then the "getting-way-too-familiar" impulse to throttle Jou. But common sense intervened, and told her it wasn't his fault, and this way, at least she wouldn't waste any more time fawning after him. 'Dear gods, how did I end up back here?' she asked herself. 'Oh yeah, Kaiba.' Anzu pulled the covers over her, ruthlessly pushed all thoughts of enigmatic guys out of her head, and determined to fall asleep.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Anzu padded downstairs that morning, and was greeted with a surprise once she entered the kitchen. "Mom? Dad? What are you guys doing home? Aren't you supposed to be somewhere in Europe right now?"

Her dad glanced up at her from the morning paper he held in his hands. "Hey sweetie. Nice way to welcome your folks back. No "Hey, glad to see you" or "Nice to see your plane didn't crash" or…"

"Nice to see your plane didn't crash." She laughed. "I'm glad to see you, just wasn't expecting you guys is all." It really wasn't that she was disappointed to see her parents-but they were gone way too often to really form any sort of lasting relationship with their only daughter. A bit of light banter here and there, a dinner out on the town once in a great while, and a few mornings later she'd be greeted with a short note and envelope of money in place of her parents.

There were worse parents out there. She appreciated this fact.

"Well, sorry to say, but we're not staying long." Her mother replied. Oh wow- no surprise there, really. "However, we'll be gone for quite some time this trip, and we're not exactly sure when we'll be back. So we've decided to call your aunt to come over and house-sit for us."

Dear god help her. There may be worse parents than hers in the world, but if they were thinking about calling who she thought they were…there were few things in the world worse than-

"Aunt Mako will be moving in here for the duration of our trip."

Someone up there hated her. Yep. No other explanation. "Dear god." Help me, she finished silently. "I'm sorry?" Her mother looked at her inquiringly. "Did you say something?"

Anzu smiled, though it came out as more of a grimace. "Nope. Hey, I've got to get going. See you guys later- bye!" She bolted the rest of her breakfast, and sped out of the room. She was stopped by her mother's voice. "Anzu- don't you need a lunch?" Anzu poked her head back in the kitchen to respond. "I'm all right, I've got a few dollars so I'll just pick up something at school." She was out of the house by the time her mothers' "Okay, be careful." left her mouth.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"Hey Sens- oh, hey Ryou. Where's the teacher?" School was out, and the halls were nearly empty. Anzu was looking for her math teacher; she usually did pretty good, but there were some equations she wanted to review with him. She had every intention on graduating with honors, and she wasn't going to slack off now with a year and a half to go. She didn't know Ryou was having problems too, though-he was one of the top students in class. But he must have been-why else would he still be here when everyone else had left?

"Hello, Anzu. I'm not really certain where he went off to, but you'd best look elsewhere- you can get in trouble for talking to me while I'm in detention." He smiled up at her, his head in his folded arms on the desk.

Detention? Ryou?

"What?" She practically screeched She lowered her voice at Ryou's wince. "You're a straight A student- one of the top students. You never talk during class; you hardly talk at all, in fact. What did you do to cause Sensei to send you here?"

He smiled wryly. "Not me, I'm afraid." Understanding dawned on her.

"Bakura."

He sighed his reply. "Yes."

"I thought you had…an understanding with him now. Or something." She gave a half grin, half grimace. "There's some reason Yami no longer watches you like a hawk."

"Or something." He laughed. "That sounds about right. Lets' just say, at least no-one's _soul_ is going to be jeopardized. Other than that, well, the more stir-crazy he gets in here, the more serious his exploits become when he comes out."

Anzu had walked into the classroom by this point, and sat backwards in the seat ahead of him. "Leaving you to deal with the consequences of his actions. Am I right?"

He chuckled, his head still in his arms. "You could say that."

"So, what did he do this time?"

"He stole the math teacher's wallet."

Her eyes widened. "Oh…and all they did was give you detention?"

He flashed another wry grin. "They can't exactly _prove_ it was me."

She snorted with repressed laughter.

He sighed, still smiling. "Yea, I guess it is a bit funny."

She stared at him for a beat. "Let me talk to him".

He looked at her like she was crazy, and, to tell the truth rightfully so. "Say again?"

"Let me talk to him." She repeated.

"Who?" He sat up, no longer so relaxed.

"Bakura, silly." She playfully flicked him with her fingers on his forhead.

"You jest."

"Nope. Maybe I can talk some sense into him."

His eyebrows creased in worry. "I don't know if that's such a good ide-"

Ryou's eyes darkened, and his face took on a slightly sinister look.

"And what does the pharaoh's bitch want with _me_?"

Anzu's fist came out, and struck him in the eye before either one of them could do more than blink. Bakura shot out of his seat, hands reaching for her throat-but she pushed herself back against the desk, and swung her foot up to brace against the boy's chest, preventing him from advancing any further. Her voice was a bit breathy, due to the sudden rush of adrenalin. "I'm no-one's bitch, and to warn you, Yami is a sore subject to bring up with me."

Bakura glowered at her, and griped her ankle in warning. She fought a paralyzing fear, and kept reminding herself that Ryou wouldn't let anything bad happen.

At least, she hoped he'd be able to stop anything _too_ bad from happening.

They continued to glare at one another, until Anzu broke the stalemate.

"So, can we have a half-way civil conversation?"

She went to draw her foot back, but Bakura's grip tightened for a moment, causing a panic to briefly engulf her. After half a second, he took his hands away and Anzu was able to put her leg down. He sat down warily, keeping his eyes on her.

Narrowing his eyes, he responded. "What do you want, _woman_?"

It was a step up from 'Pharaoh's bitch' at least.

Anzu folded her arms on the back of her chair, and leaned her chin on them, trying to appear carefree. "So the great Thief King is resorting to pick pocketing? Sounds kind of lame, doesn't it?"

His glare intensified, if that was possible. "I was _bored_."

"And you got _caught_." She imitated his tone.

He leaned forward, so that he slightly towered over her.

"I did not! That fool has no clue it was me."

"Then why are you here, in detention? Sounds like he had some sort of '_clue_' to me."

He leaned back, turning his head away and growled.

"Look, why don't you give it up? You have no idea what kind of a culture you're facing here. Our society has so many ways of catching someone breaking the law, that we can trace you using a single hair off your head. We've got fingerprinting, and DNA sampling and-"

He interrupted her. "What happens when you build a better mouse-trap?" He looked at her.

She looked at him quizzically. "I don't know." Anzu decided to humor him. Sighing, she asked "What happens?"

He grinned. "Someone builds a better mouse."

She raised an eyebrow. "Oh, ha ha. Very funny; but what does that mean?"

Leaning forward, he said "Here's a clue. I _am_ the better mouse." Ryou sighed inside. He tried telling Bakura she probably wouldn't get it; it was an old English saying.

But she surprised him- it took a few moments to sink in, but she understood now. "Wait a second. You're a, what, five-thousand year old spirit? In a body that's completely different than the one you were born into? No matter how much time you spend in control, it's still going to feel unnatural to you. Ryou hasn't had the life you've lived." At least, not that I'm aware of- she amended silently. "You don't have the control, or dexterity that made you an oh-so-successful thief back then. All you're going to do is get poor Ryou in jail-then what are you going to do, when you have nothing to do but stare at four blank walls all day?"

Bakura just stared.

Anzu cast her gaze downward, and began to fidget. "Okay, maybe I ran off my mouth a little more than I should have."

Bakura actually smiled. He took her chin in his hand, and tilted her head until her gaze met his. "I believe you've just solved my problem." His smile turned into a feral grin.

Her mouth dropped open, speechless.

Bakura's features melted into the gentle planes of Ryou. Taking his hand back from her face, he said "I don't know if that's a good thing, or bad."

"Neither do I."

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Well, there you have it. Hopefully I can update at least once a month- I'm pretty excited to finally get this story down, I've had it in my head for so long. I just hope it comes out right.

Hope you enjoy!


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Three weeks later…

"Where the hell have you been?"

Anzu closed her eyes and grimaced. 'Oh god, she's here.' She thought with a mental groan. Opening her eyes, her fears were confirmed on the sofa of the living room, lit only by the light of the television. Strangely enough, of all the times her parents up and left suddenly, the one time they have someone stay with her was the one time she felt truly abandoned. Her _dear_ aunt played a big part in that feeling.

Even in such dark lighting, she could see that her aunt had gained weight. Aunt Mako was probably around 275 pounds, last time she'd seen her. She had to have been over 300 now, and her short bob was doing nothing to flatter her squashed, rounded face. A tendency to wear clothes that were a little too small gave her the appearance of being constantly on the verge of splitting her seams.

Anzu always thought of her as having somewhat of a god-complex; years ago, she babysat a much smaller Anzu, and made her call her "Aunt Mako-dono". Since that incident, they rarely shared a civil word between them. In fact, they barely spoke at all; she was a distasteful person all around.

So what, in God's name, was a gentle man like Uncle Tohru _thinking_ when he married her? (It was the opinion of many family members that he was on something. Anzu was prone to agree.)

"Well?" the woman snapped waspishly.

Ah, yes. Her oh-so-sunny disposition shows up.

"I have a _job_ to get to after school. Then dance practice. I get home this late every night." She bit back a "Get used to it.", although it was tempting. Instead, she went into the kitchen and opened the fridge, nosing around for a quick supper.

"So when do you do your chores, young lady?"

Her head popped up from behind the fridge door. "Chores?" she asked in disbelief.

"Yes, I said _chores_. Washing dishes, cleaning the house, things like that. Your house is _filthy_."

Anzu gritted her teeth, and shut the door to the fridge a little harder than necessary. "It was clean when I left this morning." She grabbed an apple from the counter instead, just wanting to get up to her room. Perhaps the obese woman couldn't fit up the stairwell? She could only hope. Pausing at the foot of the stairs, she continued. "Seeing how neither Mom, Dad, nor I are usually home, the house doesn't get messy. We like to _clean up_ after ourselves-so no-one else has to." Hint, hint.

"Well, dear, we're going to have to have a little talk about responsibilities. A girl your age should have some household chores set up, so you earn your keep."

Anzu ran through several responses in her head, looking for one that could convey exactly what she was feeling, and, oh- exactly _where_ her aunt could put her little "talk", and what about _hypocrisy_…but in the interest of getting to bed (and subsequently, away from the shrew) she bit her tongue and ran up to her room.

Slamming her door closed behind her, and kicking it for good measure, she gave a frustrated half-yell. "Five minutes, not even, and I want to kill her! No, no, got to think of Uncle Tohru…yeah, think of the favor I'd be doing for him-" She growled at herself. "Okay, breathe…" Things seemed pretty bad when she had to give _herself_ a pep talk. Okay, it wasn't so much a pep talk as it was daydreaming, but still…

A low chuckle sounded from the furthest corner of her darkened room.

Oh, look at that, things just went from bad to worse.

Her hand crawled up the side of her wall, then quickly hit the light switch. She stared at the white haired figure the light revealed standing in her room. "What…the hell."

"Hello, _Anzu_."

Sometimes, you get to the point where it's better to just accept that "someone up there" really hates you. Anzu was pretty close to this point.

"Bakura-how-what-no, why are you in my _room_?"

A cocky smirk graced his features. "Well, Anzu, I thought about what you said a few weeks ago." He paced leisurely around her room as he spoke. Pausing at her dresser, he began to poke around. "And…I've decided to take your, ah, suggestion."

Anzu strode up to him, smacked his had away from her jewelry box (not that there was anything worth stealing, but _still_-) and slid between him and the rest of her knickknacks resting on the dresser top. "Somehow, I don't see how breaking and entering my home is taking my suggestion of _staying out of trouble_." She put her hands on his chest, trying unsuccessfully to push him back.

He, in turn, instead of moving back, brushed his hand against her left ear and revealed a delicate gold chain hanging from his fingers. Swinging it in front of her face, he responded "I don't take things too literally- I like to _read between the lines_."

Okay, Bakura just earned himself a place on her hit list. Only question was; did he come first, or did her aunt?

Maybe she was overreacting.

She angrily snatched her necklace from his grasp, knowing he let her; if he'd seriously wanted to keep it from her, he could've easily. "What are you talking about?" she snarled.

His smirk widened into a grin. "Ryou needs…practice."

Her eyes widened, and her mouth dropped open. "Wha-what?" she choked out.

He backed away from her, and, much to her dismay decided to sit on her bed. Anzu folded her arms across her chest and leaned against the dresser. Bakura gave a dark chuckle, and explained.

"My problem was simple enough." He leaned back, getting entirely too comfortable. "I'm sure you'd like an explanation?"

"What I want right now is for you to get out of my house." He laughed out loud at this, genuinely amused. She put a hand on her forehead. "I don't suppose you'd make this a whole lot easier and just tell me, whatever it is, in the morning?"

"I've been waiting for you for over three hours. The _least_ you can do is indulge me." She was struck speechless. _Three hours_? What did he do for _three hours_ in her _room_?

"You've been in my room for three hours." Her voice was flat.

"No." He said brightly. "I've been in your _house_ for three hours."

Anzu's hands covered her mouth in horror. "You've been snooping around my house for three hours!" She began gesturing with her hands, clearly agitated. "My parents could've seen you! My _aunt_ could've seen you! Do you know what she'd do if she did? You don't know how much of a…"

"Bitch?" He supplied helpfully.

She deflated somewhat. "She can be. Yeah, that's a word for her."

He snorted. "I don't see why you're worried. I could out run the woman on my worst day." He gave a predatory grin, and purred, leaning forward. "Were you worried for me?"

"No!" she snapped. He chuckled once more.

"By the way-" he held up an envelope. "I took the opportunity to liberate this from your _dear_ auntie's purse." It was small, white, and had her name written across the front in black pen. She recognized it immediately. She'd seen the exact same type of envelope lying on the kitchen counter; as soon as she'd see it, she knew her parents were once again gone. Anzu always thought of it as their version of a goodbye note- although there was no writing on the inside, she knew (about) how long to expect them gone by the amount of money they left.

He waved it for emphasis. "Now… how nice are you going to be?" Bakura gave her a suggestive leer.

Anzu clenched her fists in anger. 'Time for another pep talk, Anzu. Note to self; if I kill Bakura, I'd be killing Ryou. And killing Ryou is bad. Because we're friends. And friends are important. Right?' She sighed, and massaged her temples with her fingers. "Bakura," she said aloud. "I'm not in the mood-"

He interrupted her with a laugh. "You considered it then? My, my, I never would've guessed you'd be so loose a woman, Anzu. Then again, with all your _friends_ being male, I should've guessed it, eh?"

'It's not so bad losing one friend…I've got plenty others…' Clenching her teeth, she hissed out "I. Am. _So_. Not in the mood for your _pointless_ games and insulting comments. Say what you came to say and _get out_, before I forget myself, and forget you're in my friend's body."

His grin never left as he huffed. "You're no fun." The envelope disappeared between his fingers. "I will give you a very…condensed version of what you made me realize that day, three weeks ago."

"Thousands of years ago, I was the greatest thief in all of Egypt. However, I was fortunate enough to have led a life that stretched the limitations of my body and mind." He sighed, somewhat dreamily, lost in memory. "Diving into heaps of dung to throw my pursuers, running along rooftops cracked and weathered with age-not knowing if my next step would pitch me down to the ground in a broken heap, but it was better than losing a hand, or my very life at the hands of the guards…"

Anzu stared at him. 'This is the condensed version?' Then she had another thought. 'He's _proud_ of jumping into a pile of…?'

Bakura noticed the look Anzu was giving him, and he mentally shook himself from his memoirs. "You were right when you said this body does not have the dexterity of my own; how can it when your dear friend has lived but a fraction of the way I once did? This generation of yours is too comfortable- cars, planes, computers…makes you lazy, and weak. I'm going to change that for this body."

"Hey," Anzu protested. "Ryou is pretty fit."

Bakura snorted. "If by "pretty fit" you mean frail as a twig."

"You've managed to miss my point all together. If you get caught-"

"Relax. I'm taking very good care of our little friend. After all-what would I do without him?"

Anzu really had no reply to that, and just stood there wordlessly.

Bakura stood, and sauntered towards the window. "Until we meet again, Anzu." He gave one last, wolfish grin, before throwing himself into the night."

Anzu choked back a scream, and ran to the window- fully expecting Ryou's broken body to be lying on the ground outside. However, the ground was empty, and not even a shadow met her questing gaze.

'Oh, god, Ryou- please don't hate me."

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Running into the guys that morning at school, it was obvious she wasn't quite herself.

She had gotten into a little "tiff" with her aunt that morning about the dishes not done in the sink ("I haven't even _eaten_ here in the past two days!") and her late night chat with Bakura had her worried about Ryou. Add to that, the subsequent discovery of a missing pair of panties (the only pair, of course, she just _had_ to splurge on (black and lacy-because every girl needs at least _one_ pair of sexy panties)) and you could safely say she was a bit on edge. Just a bit.

"Have you guys seen Ryou? I know he gets to school early. Do you know where he usually goes?" Yugi, Tristan and Joey turned puzzled faces toward their friend. "Ryou?" Yugi asked. "I think he's in the music room. Why?"

She was halfway down the hall, a quick "Thanks Yug!" trailing behind her before the boy could finish his sentence.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Approching the music room, she could just hear the strains of Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata (not that she knew what it was) floating through the door. She slid silently into the room, stood for a moment in front of the doorway, until sh spotted a mop of distinctive white hair in the far corner of the room.

The piano stood on the left hand side, near the window which faced the empty field on the side of the school. Moving quickly through the three rows of varied music stands and chairs, she then crossed the empty stretch of floor to stand silently behind Ryou, waiting for him to finish playing.

The last note hung in the air as he turned around and greeted her with a smile. "Hello Anzu."

"Hello Ryou." She looked down at her hands clasped in front of her, gathered a bit of courage, and looked back at him. "Ryou, I am so sorry-" she began.

"Sorry?" He seemed surprised. "Sorry for what?"

"I tried to convince Bakura to stop causing you so much trouble, and all I've done is just made things worse. I'm so sorry, I should've just minded my own business."

Ryou reached out and took one of Anzu's hands. "Anzu, Anzu, there's no need to apologize. When you confronted him, it really made me feel like someone was concerned about me. Not many people want to be around me anymore, and I feel sometimes I'm invisible. Anyways, there have been some benefits to the exercise regime he's created-" he let go of her hand and pretended to flex his arm. "I've definitely gained some definition." He put his arm back down and smiled at her, which she returned.

"You don't know how relieved I feel-I was so worried you'd be angry at me."

He laughed a bit. "Bakura is going to do what he wants; now, I've just got a better chance at staying out of jail."

"I never thought of it that way-it's still not very comforting though."

"Anyways," he continued, a bit subdued now. "If anyone should be angry, it's you Anzu. I-well, Bakura and I, we've come to an agreement some time ago. And while ours isn't the healthiest of relationships, I do have some control and, well-"

Anzu was a little puzzled. "Okay, but what does that have to do with me? Why would I be angry at you?"

Ryou flushed bright red. "I, ah, I saw what he, um, took from you. From your drawer."

Anzu's face immediately flushed in response. "Yeah, Thanks for reminding me. I need to have another little talk with Bakura, if you don't mind…"

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Yugi, Tristan, and Joey were standing at Tristan's locker when a classmate, who knew their little group in passing, stopped by.

"Hey, what are you guys doing here? Didn't you know your friends' in a fight?"

"Huh?" Joey looked as confused at the other two. "I'm right here, and I'm not fighting with anyone."

It's a testament to Joey's character, that he assumes any violence in their close-knit group of friends will automatically include him.

"Our friend?" Yugi asked.

"Yeah, that Mazaki girl. She's beating the shit outta some guy in the music room."

A stunned silence met that remark for all of a second.

"WHAT?" all three voices chorused. As one, they sped towards the far end of the school.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The three boys pushed their way through the crowd of people, who were inevitably drawn to the prospect of a fight. Reaching the inner circle, they stopped dead in shock.

Kind hearted, sweet, little Anzu was straddling Ryou (who, at some point, been knocked to the ground) with her hands around his neck, trying to repeatedly bash his head into the floor. And, from the sounds of it, she had just gotten a second wind.

"WHAT WERE YOU THINKING, YOU PERVERT! I-YOU-ERRG!" she growled out of frustration. "I AM SO PISSED OFF AT YOU-" At this point, she stopped bashing his head into the floor and appeared to be attempting to shake his head off his neck. "IF OU DON'T GIVE THEM BACK I'LL WRING YOUR SCRAWNY NECK YOU BASTARD!"

At this point, the guys snapped out of their stupor and went to retrieve their crazed friend. Joey managed to wrap his arms around Anzu's waist, but when he went to pull her off the poor boy, her hands remained wrapped firmly around his neck. "Tristan! Gimme a hand, will ya?" Tristan managed, one by one, to pull her fingers off Ryou's throat, and stood in front of her so she couldn't take another lunge at the other boy. Yugi bent down to check on their white haired friend-who, strangely enough, was chuckling the entire time. Only now that he had more air was it audible.

"Ryou?" he asked, concerned.

Dark eyes, in a face that was all sharp planes turned towards the short boy. Yugi gasped.

"Bakura!"

Fortunately, the rest of the spectators began to mill out of the classroom, their interest waning at the same time as the prospect for further violence did. Anzu had stopped struggling, so Joey released his arms from her waist, although Tristan remained between her and Bakura.

The thief in question chose then to stand, smiling, though no longer laughing. "Why, Anzu; I thought you'd be proud. I wasn't caught this time." The smug look on his face pushed her once more over the edge.

"Why you-!" Joey was unprepared for Anzu's sudden lunge but Tristan managed to catch her about her waist once more, and lifted her off the ground. "Calm down, Anzu!" Tristan said, ducking to avoid her flailing limbs. "What did he do to get you so pissed?"

She froze, her face coloring in embarrassment; none of her guy friends were supposed to know what kind of _underwear_ she had! And she certainly didn't want to talk about the circumstance that led to _Bakura_ having them!

Anzu glowered at the smirking thief. "He stole something of mine, and I'm trying to get it back."

"What did he take?" Joey asked.

She turned her glare to Joey. "Something _private_, okay?"

Yugi watched the exchange in silence, though it was obvious both he and the Pharaoh were paying close attention to the situation at hand.

"Huh? Private? Like your diary or something? Cause if that's the case, then ya don't have to worry about anyone seein it or anything, it's not like ya put anything interesting in it…"

Tristan glared at Joey. "Hey, maybe you should _shut your mouth_, man…you're not helping."

Anzu's glare, if possible, intensified. "Joey-" she hissed. His eyes widened. "Uh, it's, uh, not like I'd know or anything-"

"Shut. Up."

Joey shut up.

"Bakura" came Yami's voice. "Stop this childishness and give her back whatever it is you stole from her."

Bakura gave a sly smile. "If you insist…" he made as if to pull the offending item from his pocket.

"_Don't you dare_!" Anzu shrieked, face suddenly pale.

"You see? She doesn't want it."

She clenched her hands, and growled. "You know what? Forget it. Just forget it. Go ahead, keep them-see if I care." She turned her head, addressing her captor. "Put me down."

Tristan looked at the other guys, to see if they thought it would be safe. When he didn't immediately respond, however, she swung a leg back and kicked him in the shin.

"OW!"

He promptly let her go.

Anzu brushed down her skirt, avoiding everyone's eyes. "We're going to be late for class." With that last statement, she turned and walked towards the door.

Yami leveled a glare at the white haired boy. "Leave her alone."

Bakura snorted. "She started it."

A brunette head peeked back in the doorway from the hall. "_I did not_!" She then strode back down the hall towards her class.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"Nice of you to finally make it to class." Sensei said, as Anzu, Yugi, Tristan, Joey and Ryou (Bakura got bored) filtered into class. After they sat down, the teacher continued, eyeing her delinquent students. "Rumor has it you five were involved in a fight today before classes." The rest of the students were staring at them. If it hadn't gotten around school yet, it certainly would now. Some of the best students in the building being involved in a fight was pretty juicy gossip.

"Normally, to be caught fighting in school is an automatic three day suspension. However-as none of us teachers actually _saw_ what happened, and, given your history of good behavior in the past (except you, Joseph) ("Hey!) we're going to let it slide." They breathed a sigh of relief. "I am very disappointed in you five; and I sincerely hope I don't have to stop class again for a talk of this nature." Leveling a final glare over the guilty parties, she turned to the rest of the class.

"Now that that's been settled, we were talking about…"

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Work flew by for Anzu, and practice went by even faster. However, she did manage to work out the last of her frustrations during dance, which left her a little more tired than normal and running a bit behind.

So, it was a bit of a shock when passing by the KC building, she saw a familiar brunette figure leaning against the wall, one foot braced against the building behind him. Was he…_waiting_ for her? No…

But as she passed by he pushed himself from the building and began walking next to her. She bit her lip to keep from saying anything; this nightly ritual was comforting for her, and she didn't want to jeopardize it by scaring him off.

Neither one spoke, and it seemed like things were falling in to place once more. When they approached Kaiba's street, however, she got the last surprise of the day.

She hadn't taken but five steps past the road he turned down when she heard him call out.

"Mazaki."

Startled, she turned towards him, looking at him puzzled. She could see his smirk even in the dim light of the street lamp.

"Rough day at school, little hellcat?"

Her face brightened in embarrassment, and she turned stiffly from him and continued home. His laughter followed behind.

End Chapter Two.

I'm so happy! I got reviews!

These past two chapters contained a lot of Ryou and Bakura, but not a lot of Kaiba. It's his turn next:D

Thanks for reading!

Aspen XIII


	3. Chapter 3

Opening the door that night, she had almost made her way to the stairs when she was yanked backwards by her aunt's hand fisted in her hair.

Anzu cried out as she was dragged into the living room and thrown to the floor. Her eyes closed on instinct when she hit. "What the-" She opened them just in time to avoid the foot that came flying towards her. Scrambling to the other side of the room, she tried putting as much distance between her and her crazed aunt as possible. In the dim light of the flickering television, she could see Mako's furious, heaving figure standing in the entrance. Her fists were clenched, and her face was twisted in anger.

"Where is it?" She snarled.

A wave of anger and fear washed over her. Clenching her own fists, she shouted back. "What are you talking about?"

"Don't play games with me, girl." Her aunt stalked towards her. Anzu circled around, still trying to keep her distance. "The money! Where is my _money_!"

"Money?" Then she remembered-Bakura holding a white evelope; saying he found it in Mako's purse; the envelope with _her_ name on it.

Faster than her bulk belied, she rushed Anzu, grabbing hold of her face and smashing the back of her head into the wall. "You little bitch! Where is it?" Anzu's hands reached out blindly, and managed to grab a fistful of Mako's own hair. She yanked it, hard enough to pull her head back, and Mako shrieked. Her aunts hands were wildly swinging out, trying to catch hold of Anzu's own hair, but she was unsuccessful.

Anzu yanker her hair once more, shoved at the bulk of the body pinning her down, and made Mako stumble back. The woman finally managed to snatch the hair on the side of her head, and thrust her towards the floor. Mako lost her balance with the momentum, and fell to her bottom on the floor as well. Anzu was a bit disoriented, but realized there was a clear path to the door now. She scrambled up, as quickly as she could despite her swaying, and stumbled to the door. She flung it open, and bolted down the steps into the street.

Mako made it to the door in time to see a fleeting glimpse of the girl disappearing into the night. "You can…stay…gone!" she shouted, between gasps for air. The slam of the door as she went back into the house echoed down the street.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

By the time she was able to sufficiently orient herself, the sky was beginning to lighten and she had managed to put quite some distance between herself and her home. She stumbled, her vision blurred with tears into what she recognized as being the city park. She had been running for what seemed hours, and she was relieved to be somewhere familiar. Catching sight of a nearby bench, she gratefully collapsed onto it and tried to catch her breath. However, every breath she caught was spent in a gasping sob, and she dimly realized that she needed to calm down before she made herself sick.

"Why am I acting like this? It's not so bad." Although she felt sore all over, and still felt a bit dizzy, she didn't think she'd have any visible bruises. "Ow!" Running her hand through her hair, she found two nasty bumps beginning to form. "What am I going to do? I can't go home. I can't ask any of the guys to put me up. I don't have any money…" Stopping that line of thought, least she start to panic, she tried to relax and lean back but something prevented her from doing so. "My backpack!"

She quickly swung it off her shoulder and frantically began to search through it. 'Oh please, oh please…I need something to go right today-' Luck was with her, as she found the item she was searching for. "Yes! My purse!" Her backpack put aside, she began to thumb through her purse. She almost cried with relief when she found her bank card. Tomorrow she'd have more options- it wasn't a debit card (she didn't think she'd ever need one) so she'd have to wait for the bank to open in the morning. Anzu was fortunate, however, to have put aside almost all of her paychecks from the last three years at work. Added to that, monies from different relatives for birthdays, holidays, and left over from her parents' trips, and she had a decent nest egg. Not as big a one as she hoped she'd have when she finally went out on her own, but she could survive. She hoped.

For now though, she was stuck. Pushing back the rest of her tears, she put her things away. Using her bag as a pillow (a very lumpy one) she curled up on the hard bench and eventually fell asleep.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The steady beat of the sun warming her face was what woke her late that morning. If she was prone to cussing, she would've given into the urge to do so as she looked at her watch, and realized she missed the first two periods of school.

'As if I could go looking like this anyways.' She sighed. Her clothes were rumpled and dirty, and she hadn't her usual shower after work the last night. 'I need to go home sometime today, if only to get some clothes.' She wrinkled her nose. 'And a shower.'

Her good fortune held, as she saw her aunts' car disappear down the road not fifteen minutes after Anzu arrived at her block. She wasn't so lucky, however, to be able to locate the key that _should_ have been under the mat. "She took the key, that-" Anzu bit her lip, and sighed heavily. Dropping her bag on the porch, she circled around the house.

As she had hoped, the kitchen window was cracked open an inch. Unfortunately, it was a good two feet above her head. Leaping up, she managed to grab the bottom of the window sill, took a hand, and slid the window the rest of the way open before dropping back down. Leaping once more, she pushed the screen in and caught hold of the inside ledge. Quicker than she thought possible, she managed to slide in the kitchen, but didn't count on having to navigate the sink overflowing with dishes. She ended up on her back, on the floor of her kitchen, but managed to avoid bringing any dishes with her. Her muscles, already stiff and sore from the previous night's fight protested as she got to her feet. Anzu was on a schedual, however; she didn't know when her aunt was to return, so there was no time to waste. If she was at her own house, she'd have a good two hours, at least, as Mako lived on the other side of town. If she was at the market, maybe less.

Showering briskly, she gathered all her toiletries and dumped them on her bed as she walked into her room. She dressed in record time, and began packing. Soon, she had all her clothing and a few precious knickknacks packed into three suitcases. The two packed with clothing went out the window, into the side yard below. The smaller bag with breakables and necessities she carried with her downstairs. Once out the door, she looked back one last time. She wasn't sure when she'd be back. Given the way she was feeling at the moment, she wasn't sure if she'd ever set foot in her childhood home again.

She hid her two suitcases in the bushes; she hadn't yet a place to stay, but her aunt wouldn't find them there and it would be easier to fetch them from the yard than to risk coming back into the house. Taking a deep breath, she took her first steps in a new life.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Although she did have quite a bit of savings in the bank, the only place she was able to get on her own wasn't in the best of neighborhoods. However, all the other places she tried required credit cards, a credit history, and no one wanted to take a risk on someone so young. So, although it was the type of landlord who "didn't ask questions, as long as the rent was paid" (direct quote) it wasn't a run down building. The doors to the outside were big and thick, but everything else was cheaply made. At the least, it was in good repair, and it was clean.

Once she got her keys, it took her a good two hours to get back to her old home and retrieve her bags. She was thankful she had taken the precautions she had; her aunt's car was indeed in the drive and the tv was loud enough to be heard even outside. An old prank involving a paper bag and dog poop (a long story Joey once told her) flashed through her mind, but she wasn't going to do something so juvenile. Her reasoning had nothing to do with the fact it was getting too dark to go out looking for a convenient pile of poo. She never carried lighters with her anyways.

It was probably around midnight by the time she got back to her new place. Her clothes she piled in the small closet of the bedroom, and her alarm clock went on the floor. 'At least I'll make it to school tomorrow.'

Before settling in for bed, she upended her backpack and began sorting out what she would need for the morning. "Hm- what's this?" The edge of an envelope could just be seen from beneath one of her textbooks. Flipping it over in her hands, she drew a quick breath in shock- her name was written in black ink across the front, in her mother's handwriting.

An image came to her mind, of the first and last time she'd seen it-dancing around the nimble fingers of a certain thief. Strangely enough, it felt heavy. She opened it, with some trepidation.

And gasped in astonishment. She flipped through bills upon bills… more than enough to feed her for a year. To her surprise, at the end of the stack, there were three of her parent's credit cards. With her name on them. They'd never done that before. Was it because she was more responsible now, or because they'd be gone for that long? Or did they, like Anzu, not trust Mako either?

Tossing the envelope down, she put her head in her hands and sobbed. Any hope of her parents coming back and getting rid of that _thing _in the house were dashed, and the weight of her situation sunk in. 'I'm not ready to be on my own yet!'

Anzu began to calm down as she reasoned with herself. 'Technically, I've been on my own for a while now, right? It's just this time, I'm not home. And if I watch what I spend, my paycheck can cover rent and it'll be just like always.' She looked around the room, the empty spaces for a bed and dresser glaringly obvious. 'Well, not exactly. But I can manage.' Anzu sighed, and began making her bed.

She piled her blankets on top of one another, and slid into her makeshift bed. It really wasn't so bad- it was much like sleeping on a traditional tatami mat. And it was much better than sleeping in the park. As she reflected on the past days, she decided she was very lucky to have come so far. And with that thought, she fell into a peaceful sleep.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

She was never so grateful for a Friday than she was that morning. The emotional upheaval of the last few days were beginning to take their toll, leaving her felling listless and drained. But, all things considered, it could've been much worse.

Although the walk to school was now considerably longer, having to walk through downtown Domino had its perks-like treating herself to a cappuccino from the local coffee house before class.

Tossing her cup into the wastebasket near the door, she was greeted by her friends as she made her way to her seat.

"Hey, long time no see Anzu!"

She gave Joey a half-hearted glare. "I was only gone for a _day_, Joey! I don't get this warm a welcome from you after spring break, and that's a considerably longer amount of time."

"Yeah, but you never miss a day of school, so it seemed like a long time."

Tristan poked Joey in the back with his pencil. "You're just complaining cause nobody else was here you could copy notes from."

"What about Yugi?" She knew better than to ask about Tristan. Neither he nor Joey ever took their own notes.

Said person leaned forward to look around Joey, directing his comments toward the girl now sitting in her seat. "If he's going to goof-off in class, he deserves the grad he gets. Besides-" he held up a page from his notebook. Anzu cocked her head to one side, then the other, trying to decipher the chicken scratch that was Yugi's handwriting. "I doubt he'd be able to read anything I wrote." He finished.

"Ha! That's why you and the spirit are so comfortable together!" Yugi turned a questioning look at Tristan. "Why's that?"

"You guys are the only ones who can read your own writing!"

The rest of the group groaned-it _was_ a terrible joke-and sat back in their seats as class began.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

She was surprised to note that being able to continue her nightly commute with Kaiba was comforting in its' familiarity.

Anzu leaned against one of the pillars of Kaiba Corp, facing the street. Having nothing better to do, she began bopping her head to a tune she had running through her mind all day. She didn't have long to wait until she heard the sound of the front doors opening, then closing. Popping out next to Kaiba as he drew alongside her caused him to give a little jump back, the tiniest widening of his eyes telling her he was startled by her sudden appearance. She was sure he'd never admit to it aloud, though. She cocked her head at him, gave him a smile, and began walking. He drew up next to her, and they continued down the road in companionable silence.

The only shift in their routine was that Anzu now left the main road before Kaiba; her street lay a few blocks before his, on the left as opposed to his which laid on the right. She turned down her street, leaving her companion's side without a word or glance behind, never thinking to inform him of her new residence. They never really talked before-as such, Kaiba walked almost a full block alone before noticing her absence.

'Wish they'd fix the lights on this street' she mused as she trod further into the darkness. 'It's kinda creepy-but I suppose I'll get used to it eventually.'

As if on cue, faint footsteps sounded from behind. A shiver ran up her spine, and she moved to the side of the sidewalk hoping the person behind her would pass.

The steps quickened behind her, and wound her nerves so tight that when a hand descended on her shoulder, she instinctively swung out with her school bag, aiming for her assailants' head. Another hand grabbed her wrist lightning-quick, before the bag could hit its target. Her eyes traveled up to meet a familiar set of glaring blue.

"Where the hell do you think you're going?"

Anzu stood there for a moment, mouth agape, speechless. When she finally regained her voice, the only thing she could squeak out was an (oh so intelligent) "Huh?"

Kaiba turned back around, her wrist remaining in his grasp. "Hurry up. This isn't the kind of place you want to be so late at night." An unspoken "idiot" was evident in his voice, which was polite for him. He began to drag her back the way they had come.

It was a couple of feet before Anzu snapped out of her stupor and dug her heels in. "Hey! What do you think you're doing?" Her captor turned his head and raised an eyebrow.

"In case the graffiti and all too frequent reports of violence has escaped your notice in these parts, let me be the first to inform you that this is no place for a girl to be walking around alone."

"But I have to-"

His eyes narrowed. "The only thing you _have_ to do is go home-right now."

She snapped back. "That's what I'm _trying_ to do, you jerk!" She sighed, and closed her eyes. "I'm sorry-that didn't come out the way I wanted it to."

"I doubt a little yellow house with a white porch and fence lay down this particular road."

Her eyes popped open in amazement. How did-no, she wasn't going to ask. She should've known-it was Kaiba, after all. Apparently, he knew everything. She sighed once more. "I don't live there anymore."

"Why not?"

She huffed, and tried to yank her wrist from his grasp. "None of your business. Now let me go-please." She looked to where his hand still held her wrist.

He looked as well, and slackened his grip for a moment-then tightened it once more. "Tell me why."

Anzu gritted her teeth, and tried once more to free her hand. Kaiba wasn't budging. "It's a long story. Just, just drop it. Okay?"

"Give me the short version."

She tried glaring him down, but he remained indifferent. "I-well, I-" She didn't like giving into him, but she also really didn't like standing there in the middle of the sidewalk. 'I suppose, in the interest of getting home _today_…'

He started to tap his foot impatiently, which only served to make her wish to stall further. However, he was right about one thing-this wasn't a good place to be loitering after hours.

"Fine. Short version. Someone else lives there. End of story."

"I find it hard to believe two people can't live in a four bedroom house comfortably." Okay-_where_ did this man get his information from? It was bordering on creepy.

The truth of the reason for her situation came to her mind, and she found herself inexplicably embarrassed because of it. Blushing, the fingers of her other hand subconsciously felt the still-tender lumps on the back of her head. "I don't feel safe there anymore. I really can't- _won't_ go back until my parents come home from their business trip."

He stared at her for a moment. He seemed to come to some sort of a decision, and when Anzu tried to tug her wrist from his grasp once more, he let her go. Kaiba then turned around and began walking the way they had come.

Anzu was just about to turn toward her own path when Kaiba's voice stopped her.

"Come."

She stood there flabbergasted. '_Who-does-this-ASSHOLE-think-he-is?'_ He didn't really think, after all this time, that she was the type of person to respond _favorably_ to him ordering her around like some…some _animal_?

She rooted around in her knapsack, and with a small victorious "ha!" revealed-

A twinkie.

Which she then opened, and proceeded to hurl at the unsuspecting Kaiba.

It hit him square in the back of the head, stopping him in his tracks. Slowly, his hand lifted and felt around, encountering the sticky mess that refused to dislodge at the gentle probing of his fingers. A slightly more brisk run of his fingers detached a portion of the soft cake, and it slid off to land on the pavement below. He turned around, and gave her as evil a glare as she seen him give anyone.

She held her ground, hands on her hips, as he stalked towards her. 'He will _not_ intimidate _me_.' Although-she had to run that phrase repeatedly through her mind as he stalked ever closer to her. He didn't stop until their shoes were almost touching-their bodies uncomfortably inches from one another. His head leaned down, his nose close to brushing against hers. She fought to keep herself from stepping back-she wasn't giving in on any level-he was the one at fault!

"Why" he hissed silently "did you feel the need to do _this_?" He held up his hand, covered in a portion of the cake and cream.

"I" her voice quavered a bit, and she cleared her throat and tried again. "I am not an animal. I'm not going to stand here and be treated like one either." His brows drew together slightly, confused, and he drew his head back a bit, giving her a little more room to breath. He refused to take that one step back that she wanted him to though. She looked at him, and though her voice was steady, her eyes were pleading. "Would you let someone talk to you like that?"

The confusion in his face turned into a softer kind of glare, and his hand dropped down to his side. His breath came out in somewhat of a huff, as he turned his head to the side. "I'm…_trying_ to help you."

Anzu was confused, now. "Help me with what?"

He turned back to her. "You're not going to sleep in the street. Especially not here." He gave an almost non-existent sigh. "You can have a room at my house-until your parents return."

"Oh!" Understanding dawned on her. "Well, that's nice of you, but really-it's not necessary." Anzu smiled up at him, a bit proud of herself and happy to be able to tell someone. "I managed to get a small apartment of my own down here. That's why I'm headed this way." His closeness was really starting to bother her now that she wasn't angry anymore. She took a slight step back. "It's not that I don't appreciate the gesture, but-I'm doing something on my own, and I really-"

"Don't want to owe anyone-especially me."

"No! That's not it at all." She took a deep breath. "I would just feel better about myself if I can get through this little problem on my own. That's why I haven't told anyone else-I don't want them to worry, or push me to accept any help from them. I've got cash and a couple of cards left for me by my parents, and I've got a steady job-I should be fine until they return."

Kaiba quietly huffed and looked around. "So you're going to live here, for what, a month?" At the look on her face, he revised his estimate. "A few months?"

"Ah, probably closer to a year, I think." She kind of cringed at the look he gave her. Anzu crossed her arms, but managed a smile. "It's the only place that would take me without any referrals. But it's fine."

He stared intently at her. "You'd choose this place over mine?" She opened her mouth to retort but he held up a hand, forestalling her. "I know, I know. Some kind of independence thing. And I guess…I can understand that." He looked down her street, taking note of the darkened street lamps and graphitized walls. "You're not walking home by yourself."

"Now wait a minute here, Kaiba-"

He glared at her again, cutting her off. "Don't argue-it's for your own good. Now come on." He gently grabbed her shoulders, spun her around, and gave a slight push. "Let's move."

She gave up, and began her walk home once more. He moved up beside her, and ruffled the top of her hair. Anzu almost stopped walking-shocked at his uncharacteristic move. However, as her fingers moved up to smooth her hair into place, they encountered a sticky mess, and she realized what he did. He had wiped his hand (which still held the remainder of the twinkie) in her hair. She couldn't stop the growl that slipped past her lips, and could've sworn she saw his own lips quirk in a almost-smile. Biting back all the things she could've said, she simply quickened her pace and determined to get the night over with.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The walk to her apartment was short, fortunately. Each one was wrapped up in their own thoughts, and didn't say a word to one another; although even if they weren't, the walk would've remained silent as usual.

Anzu stopped at her building. She hadn't really wanted Kaiba to know where she lived. It wasn't that she didn't' _trust_ him; if she were truthful with herself, she was a bit embarrassed. The building didn't look very nice on the outside. It was one of the few buildings in the area that didn't have anything broken, at least, and it was very clean on the inside.

She walked up the steps and opened the door. When she didn't hear it shut behind her, she glanced back and found her tall blue-eyed shadow stepping through the doorway.

"Ah-" she turned around, one hand holding the door, blocking him from entering all the way. 'What is he doing?' "Um, thanks for walking me home." She said hesitantly.

He simply looked at her.

She let go of the door, and put her hands on her hips, causing Kaiba to grab it before it hit him. He raised an eyebrow. "Don't you think it would be rude of you to not invite me in? Especially after I've went so far out of my way for you."

"For one thing, I'd invite you in if I didn't think you'd say yes. For another, I didn't _ask_ you to-"

"Regardless" he interrupted her. He managed to slide past her slim form and into the building. "I refuse to walk home with this cake matted in my hair."

"Couldn't you just call someone to give you a ride home? Then you wouldn't be walking home with it in your hair, you'd be _riding_ home with it in your hair." He responded with one of his patented glares. She sighed. "Let's get this over with." She muttered inaudibly.

Two flights of stairs and a short hallway later, they stood in front of Anzu's apartment. She was nervous enough that she dropped her keys twice trying to unlock the door. At Kaiba's offer of assistance, she growled and shoved the key in the lock.

Opening the door, she turned on the lights and headed for the kitchen counter to deposit her bag and keys. "Yeah, I know I don't have anything- I just moved in yesterday." She turned to him and watched as he glanced around, taking in his surroundings. There wasn't much to see.

She went down the short hallway and through the door to the bathroom. Collecting shampoo, conditioner and a towel, she walked back out to find Kaiba looking around her bedroom. "Hey! Out, out, out!" Anzu walked in and physically pushed him out of her room. "You don't just walk into someone's bedroom, you pervert!" He snorted as he walked back into the empty living room.

"It's not like there's anything to see."

"I don't care! It's the principle. A guy doesn't just walk into a girls' room." A memory of another guy who invaded her room came unbidden, and she walked into the kitchen quickly to hide an unexpected blush. What was it with these people? Depositing the items on the counter next to the sink, she went back into the living room where Kaiba was standing. "You can wash your hair in the sink in there. I've got a blow dryer if you need it when you're done." He nodded, and brushed past her into the kitchen.

She stood there for a moment, listening to him fiddle with the knobs on the sink. She was at a loss of what to do. She didn't have a television to just lounge in front of until he was done. She wasn't about to watch him wash his hair. And she was afraid if she stayed in her room he'd seek her out there when he was done. Despite her trusting him not to try anything, she still felt squeamish thinking about a guy in her bedroom. She sighed, picked up her bag, and walked into the living room.

Approximately fifteen minutes later Kaiba walked out of her kitchen to find Anzu sitting against her wall, on the floor doing her homework. She looked up at him appraisingly when he entered the room. 'Either he's really prissy about washing his hair, or he took extra long just to annoy me.' "You know, when the bottle says 'Lather, rinse, repeat' you only have to repeat once." He glared at her, but didn't respond to her barb.

"You mentioned a hair dryer?"

"Yeah, in the bathroom, under the sink. It's the only door in the hallway you haven't been through."

He muttered loud enough for her to hear, as he followed her directions. "Are you sure I'm allowed in here? I'd think the bathroom would be too _personal_ a place to allow me to see."

He came back into the living room, and Anzu pointed to a wall outlet he could plug it into. "Ask any girl about the bedroom thing. They'd agree."

He gave her a funny look. "No."

"Why not?"

He paused, and for a moment she didn't think he was going to respond. "I don't know any other girls that I could ask."

She was surprised. "Oh."

Talk was suspended as he turned the dryer on, and began to dry his hair. She went back to her school work, placing a textbook on the few papers that threatened to blow away.

It took him less time to dry his hair than it did to wash it, and soon he was winding up the cord and putting it away. She didn't look up as he re-entered the room, and stood next to her, his already tall frame dwarfing her petite one as she was crouched over her work spread out before her. Only when he cleared his throat did she finally glance up to acknowledge him. "What are you working on?"

"Ah, English. Why?"

He looked away for a moment, then looked back, and leaned against the wall. "Did you want some help with it?"

"No thanks. I think I've got the hang of it." 'I'm being a bit stuck up, aren't I?' she thought to herself. 'He really seems like he's trying to be nice.' "I wouldn't mind some help with Calculus, though." She smiled up at him.

He gave a small snort. "Figures." She let the comment pass as he lowered himself to the floor, and grabbed one of her papers.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

An hour went by surprisingly fast. They had a few conversations while she worked, that unlike any other they'd ever had, didn't degrade into insults. It wasn't until Anzu stretched, then checked her watch that they'd realized just how late it was. "Oh, god, Kaiba, I'm sorry I kept you here so late."

He stood from his position, across from her, and stretched himself. He responded with a grunt, and walked over to where his coat and briefcase sat on the counter. "I offered my help. I can see why you took it." Anzu ignored his implied insult, and laughed. She walked over to the door, and opened it for him.

"Hey, Kaiba-" she called after him, as he walked down the outside hall. He stopped, and looked back at her. "Thanks."

He merely shrugged, and walked down the stairs. She smiled, and shut the door.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

End Chapter 3

Yikes. That took FOREVER to get out. Sorry it's so late! I'm not going to regale you with everything that has happened to me these past few months, but suffice it to say, I really _did_ have a good reason. Really!

Hope you enjoyed!

P.S. I really did!


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

The next couple of school nights found the two settling into their new routine- minus the twinkie of course. Their conversations were a little one-sided at times, but Anzu didn't mind. It was Kaiba-so it was expected. Sometimes, given his personality, she even preferred it that way.

"When the hell are you going to get some furniture in here?"

Like now.

They had been sitting on the floor, as usual, their homework spread out between them. Kaiba had made it a recent habit to put off his homework until late-and so ended up doing it along side Anzu. He told her once that it was simply so he wasn't doing the same work twice in one day. She replied if he was really doing her work for her, he was spelling her name wrong at the top of his papers.

Anzu didn't raise her head from her textbook as she replied to his latest complaint. "I'm so sorry your highness. I'm waiting for more hours to be available at work; in the meantime, I can loan you a pillow for your oh-so-delicate backside if you wish." She looked up at him with her next comment. "Besides, didn't you say I've already got the most important thing already?" She gestured to the kitchen counter, where a brand new coffee maker sat.

"Coffee is a necessity. At least it proves you have your priorities straight."

"Food, clothing, and shelter are necessities. And I only got the coffee maker so you'd quit complaining about me having nothing to drink here."

"Nothing I'd drink, anyways. Coffee is a staple of the food pyramid where I come from."

"You're not normal."

"Of course not." He said indignantly. "I'm better."

She snorted. "Oh, ha ha."

She saw Kaiba to the door as usual, and leaned against it once it was closed behind him. A familiar, but faint flutter in her heart made her sigh resignedly. 'There is _no_ way I'm falling for the stereotypical tall, dark, and handsome…asshole. She gave another, deeper sigh and hit her head against the door.

"Ow!"

Okay, that didn't work.

A quick detour into the bathroom to retrieve some aspirin helped slightly. Musing silently about the frightening parallels her life was beginning make with some of the most _awful_ soap operas, she made her way to her room for a restless night.

- - - - - - - -

It was a few weeks later when Kaiba stopped on the main road instead of turning with Anzu down her street. Puzzled, Anzu stopped as well.

Instead of looking directly at her, he turned his head to the side and began talking to empty space. Anzu learned long ago this was usually indication that whatever he was about to say, he was uncomfortable with saying.

"I am unable to escort you home tonight." One hand was shoved into his pocket, the other clutching his ever-present briefcase at his side. "I haven't been spending much time with Mokuba recently, so he decided we're having an all night movie marathon." He gave a barely discernable smile. "Tonight's theme is vampires."

Anzu gave a small laugh and waved her hand, brushing his comments aside. "That's okay, I'm sure I'll be fine walking home alone for this one night."

Kaiba looked at her and narrowed his eyes in a glare. "I don't think so. We've been over this argument before-you're not walking down there by yourself."

Anzu narrowed her own eyes and put her hands on her hips. "What do you propose I do? Setup a tent and camp out right here?"

He growled at her insolent tone. "I'm 'proposing' you come with…"

He was interrupted when Anzu gave a short screech of alarm and would have crashed into his chest had he not caught her about her shoulders. 'What the-'

A pale hand fell back into the shadows it came from before a shock of white hair and a grinning face revealed itself.

Kaiba's hands still held her shoulders, but Anzu managed to turn her head enough to see who startled her. "Bakura!" She knew that smirk anywhere. Brushing the brunette haired teen's hands from her, she stepped towards the figure of her friend. "What are you doing here?"

Bakura's gaze darkened as it focused on the other boy's face. "Just passing through." He lightened up fractionally when he turned his attention towards her. "So why would you need an…escort?"

Anzu crossed her arms and turned her head to glare at Kaiba. "I don't. I'll be fine for one night."

He glared right back at her. "All it takes is one night for something to happen. Especially where you live."

"You've moved here? To this street?" Bakura peered down the dimly lit street. "Brave girl."

Anzu huffed. "You're not helping matters any."

He grinned at her and folded his arms. "Didn't know I was supposed to."

"See?" Kaiba gestured at the white-haired boy. "Even he's leery of that hell-hole you call a neighborhood."

Bakura snorted, the grin still faintly playing about his face. "'Even he'?"

Kaiba ignored him. "I'm not going to be responsible for you get-"

"Who asked you to be responsible for me?" Anzu interrupted. "I'm almost an adult now and I can certainly take care of myself for _one_ damn night!"

"Not that your little lover's quarrel isn't fascinating and all-"

Both brunettes turned to him with a snarl. "_We're not lovers_!"

He merely chuckled, a cocky look on his face. "How cute. Denial in stereo." Before either one could rip his head off (figuratively speaking…maybe) he continued. Turning slightly to look at Anzu, he held out his hand. "Would you like me to accompany you home?"

The other two looked at him with something kin to shock written across their faces. Kaiba, of course, was the first to recover. "You?" he said incredulously.

Bakura mocked an affronted expression. "I'm offended at your tone of voice. Is there any reason I can't offer to help a good friend of mine? That would effectively solve your problem, right?"

The other boy stood still for a moment, his face reverting to it's cold mask of indifference. "Do it. I don't care." With that, he spun around, and stalked back down the road. "Just stop wasting my time."

Anzu may not have known exactly why he was pissed, but she recognized that look from past encounters with her other friends. She also knew Bakura could be a real pain in the ass when he wanted to. "Kaiba! Wait!" When he didn't respond, or slow down, she sighed. 'Isn't he overreacting a bit? I know Bakura's being an ass, but he got his way. I'm not walking home alone now. What _is_ his problem?' Shaking her head at the futile effort of understanding men, she turned to the remaining figure beside her. 'And what is he up to?'

That question would remain unanswered, however, even if she had spoken it. Bakura was gone, she could see, leaving her with the gentler side she was more familiar with. "Hey Ryou." Anzu greeted her friend with a wry smile. "Hope you don't mind being volunteered to walk with me. If you are, I can just-"

The boy smiled and held up his hands, forestalling her speech. "I don't mind at all. He may go about it the wrong way, but Kaiba has a valid point. You really don't want to be walking around here by yourself."

She simply shook her head, and proceeded down her street, Ryou falling into step beside her. "So what brings you down here?" She gave him a sideways glance. "Or do I not want to know?"

Ryou laughed a bit, waving her inquiry away. "I think a better question would be how _you_ ended up here." He cocked his head and looked at her. "I stopped at your house a few times, but your aunt wasn't very…forthcoming concerning your whereabouts. I never would have guessed you'd be living somewhere like this."

Anzu smiled; somehow, it didn't seem so derogatory coming from him. "Well, like I told Kaiba, it's the only place that was willing to rent to me. And, as a bonus, it's really cheap."

"I'm going to assume you haven't told anyone else about your situation."

"It's not a 'situation'. That makes it sound like I'm in trouble. I'm simply living on my own. Once I got over the mind-boggling terror of having to provide for myself, it's kinda fun." She looked at Ryou. "I'm sorry."

He raised his eyebrows. "For what?"

"I didn't tell anyone because I didn't want them to be worried, or worse, feel obligated to ask me to stay with them. I think-" she shook her head. "I know that you'd have understood, and I should've told you."

Ryou laughed. Anzu was startled, then a little offended. Hands on her hips, she threw him a mild glare. "What's so funny?"

He shook his head. "I'm not laughing at you, Anzu, honestly. I'm just-I'm happy." He looked at her once more, something unreadable flashing through his eyes. "That you would feel bad about not telling me, out of everyone else, well, it makes me feel special."

Anzu blushed, and hung her head, a bit embarrassed. They continued to walk in companionable silence until they reached her building.

"Looks like someone's moving in. Kinda late for delivery trucks though."

Anzu lifted her gaze from the ground to peer at her apartment building. Sure enough, there was a large delivery truck parked in front, and a small team of men moving what appeared to be the last of their load-a small, overstuffed couch.

All thoughts of her impending neighbor left, however, upon seeing a light on in what she was certain was her window. She stopped abruptly, fear washing her body in goosebumps. Ryou crowded closer to her, sensing something amiss. "What is it, Anzu?" His gaze scoured the building, but did not find anything that would cause such a reaction in his friend.

A shiver ran down her spine as she replied. "Someone's in my apartment." Saying it out loud seemed to make it more real, and she was frozen by indecision. Did she go up there and confront them, or should she just camp out in the park until they left? Ryou made the choice for her when he brushed by her and strode quickly up her steps. Watching his figure disappearing into her building, realizing what he intended to do, sobered her up.

"Wait, Ryou!"

Anzu dashed in after him, catching up to his long strides on the second flight of stairs. She managed to grab hold of his sleeve, effectively halting him, if only for the moment. "What are you doing? You can't go in there! You don't know how many people are in there, if they have guns; we need to call the police-"

He twisted his captured hand so he could grasp her wrist. "Anzu, calm down. I know what I'm doing." His other hand reached down and cradled the side of her face, and he could see the worry she held for him. _God, I don't know what she does to me._ He could feel his other side's reaction to that thought-and it wasn't as negative as others might have thought, had they known. He tried to shake that train of thought. _It's nothing she wouldn't feel for anyone else she considered a friend._

He grinned, the expression a touch too predatory for the shy boy, but she knew Ryou was still in control. "We can handle anything that may come up. You wait down here." A blink of the eye later, he was once more ascending the staircase, leaving Anzu behind him. But not for long.

She hurried after him, taking the stairs two at a time until she was just behind his determined stride. "Hey! There is no way I'm letting you guys go in there alone! It's my responsibility…and anyways, you guys don't even know where I live…at least, I don't think so." The last part was said a bit lower, but was still picked up by the boy's keen ears.

"It wasn't so difficult to guess which one was yours, judging by the direction of your gaze outside." The tone of his voice showed the small smile that she couldn't see, jogging behind him. Pausing before the door leading out into the main hallway, he glanced back at her and added "Anyways, what are friends for if you can't depend on them once in a while?" He pushed through the door and strode briskly towards the door of Anzu's home, when a sight brought him up short.

The movers, who had been a head of them coming into the building, were just now navigating their load through the door of what he could've sworn was the apartment Anzu had been gazing up at with such fear. The girl in question peeked around her friend to see what was holding him up; and gasped in astonishment. She moved her mouth a few times before words were able to break through her confusion. "What the _hell_?"

Ryou glanced down at her, eyebrows raised at the uncharacteristic comment . "So that _is_ your apartment, I'm assuming?"

"Yes, but I didn't order anything! Why are they moving that stuff in my home? And, more importantly, _how_ did they get in?" She quickly rummaged through her pockets, and came up with her set of keys. "Well, I still have them…so how…"

Anzu closed her eyes and shook her head. "One way to find out, I guess." She half-jogged up the hallway to where one end of the couch still remained outside her door. "Excuse me-" she called to the man holding his end of the furniture.

The man didn't even glance her way. "You'll have to wait a moment, miss."

She reached the entrance of her home. Although it was currently blocked by the two moving men and their load, she caught a glimpse of the inside, and almost died of shock. It was almost completely furnished. She did a quick double-take on the door, making sure she had the correct apartment.

"But this is my apartment!"

At that exclamation, he did spare her a look, but went back to maneuvering his end of the couch. "I'm sorry miss, we'll be out of your way in a moment."

"Hey, listen, I didn't order any of this! This stuff isn't mine! I can't afford it!"

The two men glanced at each other, then set the couch down in the middle of the doorway. The gentleman trapped on the inside retrieved his clipboard from the small dining room table he had set it on. Walking back to the couch, he glanced through the sheets and checked the number on the door. "Nope, we got the right one. It's prepaid, and they included a bonus for after-hours delivery." He handed the clipboard to his partner, who took a quick glance himself and handed it to Anzu.

They continued maneuvering their load into the apartment while Anzu walked back to Ryou, reading through the papers. "How is this possible?" Ryou's nimble fingers plucked the clipboard from her hands, ignoring her exasperated "Hey!"

Flipping through to the end of the paperwork, he gave a low whistle at the total amount-and who paid. "You're right about one thing-I don't think you'd have been able to afford it." He lifted the papers high above his head just as Anzu's hands made a grab for them. Tossing her dignity aside for the moment, she began to jump for the clipboard in his hands, but he managed to keep them just out of reach, teasing her. Turning his back to her, Ryou made as though he were still flipping through the paperwork; however, the few questions he had had already been answered- and the one unanswered one he could take a good guess at. Lost in his thoughts, Anzu managed to surprise him by jumping on his back. Holding on with one arm over his shoulder, and her legs around his waist, she reached out with the other arm; her fingers trying desperately to grasp the clipboard.

He began to laugh; unfortunately he laughed a little too hard, and unbalanced as he was, they both ended up on the floor. He was still chuckling as Anzu stood up, and finally managed to snatch the clipboard back.

Flipping to the end, she stared at the signature in shock. "Kaiba Seto?"

- - - - - - - -

The movers were long gone, and the two teens were finally inside the apartment. Ryou made himself comfortable on a strange, circular chair. Anzu had yet to sit down; he could hear her muttering to herself as she paced back and forth from the living room to the hallway, glaring at the furnishings.

"Who does he think he is? Emperor of Japan? He can't just furnish my house the way he wants it. I _told_ him I was going to buy my own stuff! God!" She paused, then sorted through her purse, which was setting on the dining room table. "I have half a mind to call him right now and-" cell phone in hand, she deflated slightly, not knowing his number. She threw the little device back in her handbag, and continued pacing.

"He replaced my coffee maker! It was a brand new coffee maker! What was wrong with it?" She growled in frustration.

"Anzu, why don't you sit down and relax? You can hash it out on him on Monday; there's no need for you to get so upset right now."

Anzu paused in front of the living room. Crossing her arms, she glared at the couch, the two chairs against the back wall, the coffee table, and nice sized flat panel television. She growled yet again, and gestured with her hands. "I can't relax in here! Every single piece of furniture is a constant reminder of that jackass, and how he's just, he's just…I don't know!" Capitulating, she threw herself into the chair beside her friend. The girl sighed, her energy running low.

Covering her face with her hands, she mumbled as she heard Ryou make his way into the kitchen. "Maybe I could call the movers and have them pick all this stuff back up."

He called back to her, head bent to get a look inside her fridge. "Can you afford to have them pick it back up? Even if you can, you don't know where to send it back _to_. By the way-" he held a bottle of fruit-flavored soda out to her, guessing correctly her throat would be parched. "I think he bought you groceries, as well."

Anzu placed her drink on the low table in front of her, and resignedly made her way to the kitchen. Peering into her cupboards and fridge left her in slightly better spirits. "No, he didn't." The two teens returned to their respective chairs, and leaned back. "Are you _trying_ to make me pissed off at him? He's doing a good job of it himself, if you are." A small smile played about her lips.

Ryou laughed. "Not intentionally, no." Internally, he sighed. 'Why am I feeling like this? It's not as though I've made a prior claim on her. Perhaps I should have done things differently…' The darker part of him growled. _'Like you had a chance, with the Pharaoh in the way?'_

'Shut up, Bakura.' He was tired enough that he didn't care. 'I wasn't asking you.'

_'Worthless…'_

Ryou frowned. Why would _he_ be upset?

His attention reverting to the outside world, he nearly jumped out of his skin at Anzu's hand waving not two inches from his face. She had, apparently, been attempting to get his attention for a while.

"Hey, are you feeling okay?" Briefly laying a hand against his forehead, she inquired further. "Are you tired? You can crash on the couch if you'd like. I don't know how comfortable it is-" Ryou waved her concerns aside.

"I'll be alright, Anzu. I think I am feeling a bit tired, I should get going-"

"I'm sorry. Am I keeping you from something important?"

He stuttered a bit. "Ah-no, not really, but-" But _Bakura_ did have plans tonight; or so he had thought.

A snarl sounded in his mind. _'Fuck it. I'm not in the mood.'_

Before Ryou could respond, Anzu spoke. "Then stay, please. I'll worry about you all night if you walk home this tired."

He gave a wry grin, and held up his hands. "All right, you win."

Anzu smiled and retrieved some blankets and a pillow from her room. "Thanks." She said, dropping them onto the couch. They both stood there for a few beats, uncomfortable, not knowing what to do. "I guess, I'll…see you in the morning, then."

Ryou smiled. "Sure. Sweet dreams, Anzu."

Anzu walked away with a blush, though she didn't know why.

- - - - - - - -

She awoke suddenly, in the middle of the night, disoriented. 'God, what time is it, anyways?' Glancing at her clock, which now sat on a small bedside table, she could've cursed. Although it was the weekend, she wanted to get up early to catch Kaiba before he went into work. She didn't think he went in at three in the morning, however, which was almost what her clock read. 'Perhaps it's the new bed. Maybe I'm just not used to it yet.' Anzu sighed silently to herself, and was about to try falling back asleep when something caught her attention out of the corner of her eye.

A hand covered her mouth lightning-fast, before she could make a sound. She immediately began to struggle, fear and adrenalin warring within her. Managing to slide off the bed, she hoped her captor would lose his grip; but he managed to keep his hold over her mouth, and caught her body with his other arm, preventing her from hitting the floor.

'If I can make some noise, Ryou will hear me!'

One of her arms was pinned to her body by her abductors' iron grip. Her free hand was scrabbling at the one muffling her mouth, but to no avail. She was rewarded with a low hiss as one of her legs very nearly missed a crucial point on his body.

"Dammit, girl!"

The tone was low, barley whispered into her ear, but she paused for a moment in her struggling. 'I know that voice…' In that one moment, however, he managed to perch them both on the fire escape outside her window. He finally removed his hand, but now Anzu was too confused to do anything about it. What the hell was going on?

He had crept back to her window, and was about to enter her room when she snagged his sleeve. She opened her mouth, intent on finding answers, but was silenced with two fingers pressed against her lips. Bakura glared at her.

"For the love of Ra, can you keep your mouth shut for five minutes?" he hissed.

Eyes wide, she nodded and braced herself against the back of the small balcony-type landing. Her companion glanced inside the apartment for a moment, then back at her. "You have some uninvited guests-and if what they're carrying is any clue, they're not too friendly, either."

She padded her clothing, for a moment wondering why her cell wasn't in her pockets-then realized she was standing in nothing but her pajamas. Bakura made as though to enter her room, but she called out silently to him.

"Shouldn't we call the cops? You could get shot, or stabbed, or seriously hurt!"

He gave a devilish grin from the other side of her window. "And ruin my fun?" His gaze darkened. "They don't know who they're dealing with." With that, he disappeared into the darkness of her home.

She could have been standing there for seconds, or minutes, shivering in the early morning cold, but it felt like hours before a faint scuffling sound met her ears. Anzu crept slowly towards the window, curiosity getting the better of her. A large, dark shape flying out of her window and over the balcony had her jumping back in fear. She heard the object land in the garbage bin below, and then heard it groan. 'Was that-it couldn't have been…'

The sharp report of a gun slipped a half-shriek from her mouth. She could hear the sounds of a struggle, and she forced herself to remain quiet. She was shivering again; but this time it wasn't from the cold.

A figure finally emerged out onto the balcony. Her heart in her throat, she gazed up-and saw dimly a shock of white hair. Anzu almost wept in relief, and was about to go to him, but he turned back to the window to grab something.

That "something" turned out to be the legs of the second intruder. He managed to pull the unresisting body onto the fire escape, balanced it on the railing, and gave a good shove. This one landed right on top of the first, causing another groan to sound from below. Only then did his attention land on Anzu.

She was tired, and cold, and scared, which was the only reasons she could think of to explain her next comment.

"Will Resolve take blood out of the carpet?"

- - - - - - - -

- - - - - - - -

A/N:

February always sucks for me; probably because my birthday is in it.

I thought that would be as good a place to end as any. I'm sorry it's taking so long to get out; I still have taxes that need to be done by today-but I really wanted to get this out!

Now if only I can figure out how to file an extension, I think our company will be okay. :D

-Aspen XIII


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Fortunately for Anzu, there was no blood on the carpet. Nor on the walls, or the tile of the kitchen; however, looking up, you could see plainly a hole where the bullet must have gone. She assumed, since nobody came down from the apartment upstairs, it was either empty or they were accustomed to things like this happening. She fervently hoped it was the former.

"So-tell me." Anzu stood in the middle of her living room, hands on her hips, looking expectantly towards her white haired guest. "Do I want to know what happened, or should I count on plausible deniability when the police find the bodies?"

Bakura flopped onto the couch, glaring at her. "This is the thanks I get for saving your prissy ass?"

Anzu opened her mouth to retort, but closed it, realizing he had a very good point. She sighed, flopping herself down on the other end of the couch. Burying her face in her hands, she mumbled an apology.

"I'm sorry. I really am. You're right-you did save me. I've just never seen a dead body before, and I'm trying to come to terms with the fact he died because of me."

He snorted. "I didn't kill anybody. Leaving those fools alive allows them to send a message to anyone else foolish enough to try what they did." Looking towards her, he lifted a brow. "Are you still going to have hysterics?"

She lifted her head, and crossed her arms tight against her body. "I wasn't going to have hysterics in the first place. It would've been his own fault had he died-he shouldn't have been here." Truthfully? She'd planned on breaking down ten minutes after Bakura left for the night. And although, after his confession, a wave of relief washed over her she couldn't stop the small tremors that still shook her body.

Bakura simply stared at her. She didn't really notice, though, her mind wrapped up in her own thoughts. Adrenalin had run its course, and she was beginning to feel the fall-out.

'Bakura.'

…

'_Bakura_.'

…

'Bakura, you son-of-a-bitch, pull her over here!'

The boy shook himself slightly, as though waking from a doze. '…what?' What the fuck was his other side talking about?

Ryou spoke slowly, as if to a child. 'She's tired. She's scared. She needs to relax. So pull her over here, and let her rest on our shoulder.'

Bakura snorted. 'You're nothing but a lovesick fool. You think she's going to relax around someone like _me_?'

His lighter side gave a short laugh. 'A hero you're not, far from it in fact. But we _did_ save her-and right now she's probably feeling vulnerable. And anyways-'he gave a depreciating sigh. 'Something tells me we're not going to get another chance like this for a long time.'

'If it will get you to _shut the hell up_-'

Sometime during their little argument, Anzu had uncurled herself slightly to pick up the remote and had turned the television on. Her blank unwavering stare belied any interest in the program that was on-but she had rather hoped she might be able to drift off to the mindless noise of the tv.

She was broken from her reverie by a pale hand on her shoulder. Still in a haze of weariness, it took her a moment to remember who it belonged to. 'Oh, that's right, Bakur-'

One moment she was curled up in her corner of the couch, and in the next her head rested on Bakura's shoulder, leaning against him with her legs stretched out on the cushions beside her.

Wide blue eyes gazed up at him in shock. She opened her mouth, and knowing he was about to face the inquisition, he moved his eyes from the television to glare at her. The short growl seemed out of place with his arm draped so casually around her shoulder; Anzu was unsure whether or not to press her luck and say what she wanted to.

Bakura returned his gaze to the television. "Go to sleep, you insufferable woman."

'Yeah, right, like that's going to happen.' Despite her negative thoughts, a small smile found its way to her lips, and her eye lids drooped shut. It surprised her and him both that she was, indeed, comfortable enough that she began to feel drowsy. A few moments passed, and she deemed it safe enough to speak.

"Bakura?" Although she couldn't hear it, she could feel him give a sigh.

"…yes?"

"Thank you. If you guys hadn't been here-"

"Don't mention it." He threw a narrowed gaze at her. "Seriously. _Don't_."

Her muffled giggles could be felt against her human pillow. His sigh this time wasn't so inaudible.

He started to say something, but Ryou gave him a little mental shove. Taking a closer look at the girl, he realized she was, indeed, asleep.

'The times I get to say 'I told you so' to _you_ is few and far between.' Ryou had a very smug quality to his voice.

Bakura shook his head. 'Shut up, Ryou. Between you and that woman of yours- I'm beginning to believe in the concept of karma.'

Ryou gave one last laugh, and left Bakura in peace, which turned out to be somewhat of a mixed blessing. Without the distraction of Anzu's caustic comments, or Ryou's complacent ones, he found his mind wandering to the events of that night. His actions. _Her_ actions.

He didn't think he liked where his mind was wandering.

- - - - - - - - - - -

The midday sun shining insistently on her face was what awoke Anzu from her slumber. She stretched, her toes touching the arm of the couch on one end, her hands meeting the other one. Couch? 'Oh, yeah.' The events of the past night suddenly rushed to the fore. Quickly sitting up, she looked around for any sign of her guest- strangely disappointed to see none. She let out a cheerless sigh. 'Should I really have expected anything different?'

Anzu felt much better after taking a shower. Throwing on a pair of shorts and a shirt, she walked into the kitchen still towel-drying her hair, intent upon making breakfast. The towel dropped from her suddenly nerveless fingers at the sight of her counter.

A kitchen knife, slightly larger than one used for eating was buried half-way through the fake marble counter top. Walking closer, she could see a small piece of paper pinned beneath.

_Try taking care of yourself for once._

The last, lingering bits of the warm fuzzy feeling from the previous night were immediately doused. Her hands fisted at her sides- the note wasn't too condescending (for him, anyway), but the knife was _not_ necessary. Angrily, she stomped up to the counter, grabbed the handle, and pulled. And then pulled again. She tried using both hands, but still not a budge.

She held onto the handle with both hands, braced a foot against the counter edge, and pulled. Unfortunately, her hands slipped, and she fell to her bottom on the floor.

"Dammit!"

Anzu slapped her hands over her mouth, eyes wide. A frustrated, inarticulate scream of rage sounded as she picked herself off the floor. Ripping the paper from the knife, she threw it into the garbage and slammed the lid shut. She then went back to pulling, this time keeping both feet on the ground.

"Bakura-you'd better hope I don't get this knife out of my counter, because if I do _I'm going to skin you alive!_"

- - - - - - - - - - -

Fortunately for Bakura, he wasn't the _first_ one on Anzu's hit list. Her way of thinking was thus; despite the intentions behind the actions of both boys, she wouldn't have had a problem with Bakura if Kaiba hadn't taken it upon himself to furnish her apartment. Then those would-be thieves wouldn't have come in, and Bakura wouldn't have had to 'save' her. Although, she held a sneaking suspicion that he enjoyedbeating them senseless _way_ too much to really blame her, as his note insinuated he did.

And anyways, she still hadn't gotten that knife out of her counter. So, Kaiba was first.

Which explained why she was sitting in front of the KC building on a nice Saturday evening. They may have been closed, but she knew Kaiba better-at least she thought she did. The boy genius was a notorious work-a-holic, and she figured he was sitting in his office right now typing away on whatever computer he might have in front of him. She was content to wait all night for him if she needed. Making herself comfortable on the ground, she sat with her back against a column, facing the front doors he almost always came out of. Two steaming cups of coffee sat nearby, and her backpack held a cd player and some paperback books. A couple of granola bars sat in one of the side pockets. Yes, she was prepared to wait all night.

By the time eleven o'clock rolled around, one cup of coffee (no longer steaming) remained, and only half of the granola bars were left of a package of eight. The two books that accompanied her she'd lost interest in long ago and she found herself wishing she'd brought along more than just the one cd in her player.

Sighing deeply, she began to pick up her things, placing all but the coffee back into her pack. "I guess I might as well drink this one too." She looked up, following the mostly dark windows to the top of the building. "Guess I was wrong. He'd be out by now if he was in there, wouldn't he?"

Walking out from behind the column she spent so much time at, she stretched, and began walking back home. She hadn't gone ten steps though, before she saw a black limo approaching the building she'd just vacated. Stopping, she watched as the vehicle pulled up and parked in front of the main entrance to Kaiba Corp. However, moments passed by and nobody seemed to be getting out of the car. A minute more and the proverbial light bulb went off in Anzu's head.

'Kaiba's still in the building! He must have called for the car to pick him up.'

No sooner had the thought crossed her mind, than the object of her musings appeared at the doors. He didn't seem to notice her at first, turning around to key in the security code that locked the building. Whirling back around, he was half-way to the vehicle before he noticed the figure not five yards away. He raised his brows, startled by her appearing at his workplace.

Anzu couldn't help the silly grin on her face at seeing him. Raising the coffee cup, she shook it enticingly. "I've got caffeine…" she sing-songed teasingly. A twitch of his lips was the only reply she received, and he once again started towards his ride.

She sighed, her heart strangely heavy. 'Well, that was a waste of…how many hours?' Turning around, she began the long trek home.

'Why is he still mad at me?' she mused, looking into the cup she held. 'Maybe he's not mad- maybe he just doesn't want to waste his time walking with me when he already has a ride…' Heaving another sigh, she tilted her head, taking a drink of her beverage.

Or she would have, had a long, slender hand not snatched it from her at the last second.

Kaiba took a swig, eyes glancing to the side to take note of Anzu's startled reaction. Once the tepid liquid hit his tongue, he made a face and glared at the cup in his hands. "It's cold."

Anzu stuck her own tongue out at him playfully. "It was hot a couple hours ago."

He turned his head fully to look at her this time. "A 'couple hours' ago?" Giving her a smirk, he continued. "Do I have another stalker to worry about?"

If looks could kill…

"You wish." Anzu bit out.

He took another drink of the lukewarm liquid, then asked the question that had been on his mind since seeing her at the building. "What _are_ you doing here, then?"

She stopped, abruptly, taking Kaiba by surprise. He stopped a few feet ahead, and faced her. For a moment there, she had forgotten why she had come up here.

The poor boy discreetly swallowed hard when his companion's face darkened. He didn't take a step back when she took one forward, but he sure looked like he _wanted_ to. Anzu began her little rant, poking him in the chest with her finger at various points.

"You conniving little son-of-a…what the _hell_ were you thinking?"

For the first time in a very long time, Kaiba felt a little out of his element. His brows drawn in confusion, he lifted his hands, burdened as they were with the cup in one hand and his briefcase in the other. "I thought the coffee was for me?"

Growling in frustration, Anzu buried her hands in her face. "I'm not talking about the fricking coffee." She all but snarled. Glaring at him once more, she continued. "What do you think I came home to last night?"

The puzzled expression on his face stayed for a second more before comprehension dawned and returned to him his stoic mask.

"I have no idea-"

She grabbed his coat lapels and pulled down, placing his face inches from hers. She bit out her next statement between clenched teeth. "If you say you don't know what I'm talking about I'm going to hurt you badly."

He let both cup and case drop from his hands, and grabbed Anzu's wrists, trapping her hands against him. He felt oddly bemused, and _thrilled_? with her anger. He smirked, adding fuel to her fire. However, before she could vent any more than she already had (or, god forbid, make good on her threat of violence) he responded.

"I was _going_ to say 'I have no idea why you would be upset with your furnishings'-unless they're not to your taste?" She tried jerking her hands from his grasp, but he simply tightened his hold, his smirk becoming wider. "Is that a 'no, I like them but I'm not going to admit to it' or was it 'yes, I hate them but I'm going to be the nice little perky twit I am and say nothing?'"

She lunged forward this time, and, him being mostly unprepared for it, she almost got her hands within reach of his face; had she not made the 'I'm going to claw you're eyes out' statement (at least, that's what he _thought_ she shrieked) she might have made it. As it were, he became off balanced, and landed on his back on the ground. He didn't release his grasp on Anzu, however, so a fraction of a second later, she landed on top of him- in a _very_ compromising position.

"Oh my god, Kaiba, are you okay?" Eyes wide with concern, she went to shake his shoulders, but her wrists were still in his hands, and even now, he tenaciously held on. His eyes cracked open a bit, and he stared at her from beneath his lowered lashes.

"Are you this forward with all your 'friends', Anzu?" His voice was a bit unsteady, but still held a tint of humor.

Anzu was shocked almost speechless. "Are you _trying_ to piss me off? You ungrateful bas-"

She was interrupted when Kaiba shifted; a blink of an eye later found their positions changed- Anzu was on the bottom, arms pinned at the wrist above her head. He straddled her, a strange glint in his eyes. "Oh, yes…" he purred. "Let's talk about being 'ungrateful'."

Her eyes narrowed. "Get off me." she growled.

He glared at her in return. "I don't think so. You explain to me first why it's so wrong of me to help you."

"I don't want your help! I don't want anyone's help, alright? I want to earn the things I have-not have everything handed to me on a silver platter!" She fought the rise of her frustrated tears, and bit her lip. "I won't feel right about it otherwise."

She couldn't see the expression on his face; his head was hanging, and his bangs obscured her view. She felt it, though, when he heaved a great sigh, then rested his head between her own pinned wrist and head.

"I have never had a...'friend'" he spoke quietly, mindful of the close proximity of her earlobe. "My actions and words I take from half-formed instincts; the majority of the time I have very little clue what to do, what actions are appropriate. I _don't_ like it." that last comment had a bit of a snarl to it.

"I am trying, the only way I know how, to be 'friendly'. I find myself, for the first time, _wanting_ to learn. I see you exchange gifts with your little group of friends at the school-why is this any different for you?"

Wow. When he wasn't being an overbearing asshole, he sure was sexy.

Anzu did a mental head-slap. Now was definitely not the time for thoughts like that. Not when he was practically _laying_ on her.

She almost missed his next remark, it was so quiet. "Is it because it's me?"

"No!" Anzu rushed to reassure him. "No, that's not it at all. It's just, well, when the guys and I exchange gifts, well, anybody really-" she realized she was rambling; she was all of a sudden nervous. She took a deep breath and started over. "You just don't give someone a real…expensive gift like that, unless you're more than just friends." Okay-it was official. This was the single most difficult conversation she'd ever had.

He gave a mental snort. Did she think he was that ignorant of social customs?

"And what if that's what I'm trying for?"

He felt her suddenly stiffen beneath him-he wasn't sure if it was a good sign or not. Kaiba lifted his head, watching for Anzu's reaction.

She simply blinked a few times, trying to wrap her mind around the concept. Shaking her head slightly, she asked. "Why?"

Well, that wasn't exactly what he was expecting. He gave a bemused huff, before answering. "Truthfully? I don't know." He gave her a moment- it may not have been the most romantic answer, but he knew she'd appreciate the more honest one.

Since he was being honest, she could do no less. "I-I really don't know what to say. I mean, I never knew you even considered me a _friend _before tonight." She bit her lip worriedly. 'And I don't know if I really trust you yet.' Anzu wasn't about to say that aloud-she wasn't stupid. She had come farther than she had ever thought to in regards to befriending the brunette above her-which was even more of a shock, seeing how she wasn't consciously trying to. Something…something held her back. She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but there was a feeling that kept her from really trying for a friendship with the intimidating young man.

The gentle brush of his lips against hers startled her back into the present. He drew back, slightly, taking note of her wide-eyed stunned expression. "I can give you time to get used to the idea."

Could she even call that a kiss? Despite the brief amount of time it took, that simple little act was enough to throw her train of consciousness out the window. "Ah, yeah." Anzu shook her head, trying to clear the fog of shock. "Wait a minute-I haven't even said yes yet! Aren't you getting ahead of yourself?"

Kaiba's body barely shook with suppressed laughter. "Yet?" He leaned his head back down, to whisper in her ear. "With that kind of a response? No, I _don't_ believe I'm ahead of myself."

The weight of his body suddenly left her as he got to his feet, and he stared at the dumbfounded girl still on the ground. 'Might as well start acting chivalrous." he thought with a small predatory grin, and extended a hand to help her to her own feet.

Sitting up, Anzu suddenly found a slender hand extended towards her. She looked up at the figure in the dark, certain he was laughing at her; well, if he was looking for a way to shut her up, he certainly found one. Slapping his hand away, she stood up on her own and began brushing herself off. After about a minute or so, she realized she was simply procrastinating; she had no idea what to say, afraid her mouth would betray her yet again. And he was still laughing. Either that, or he was having convulsions. Heaving a sigh, she began walking once more towards her home.

Grabbing his briefcase, (the coffee was, predictably a lost cause) it took a few long strides for Kaiba to catch up with her; Anzu's first guess was correct, he _was_ laughing at her, and it took him a moment to realize she had left him behind. Anzu found it had been a long time since she felt this uncomfortable walking beside her brunette companion; of course, he, on the other hand had a very smug look on his countenance. Things hadn't gone as well as they _could_ have, but they went surprisingly better than expected.

Kaiba rather suspected he'd have gotten a different reaction out of the young woman had she still been hanging out with her motley group of friends. That wasn't to say they weren't friends still-however, with everything going on in her life, she didn't get many chances to see them outside of school.

He wondered, leisurely, as he programmed his numbers into her cel-would he have entertained the idea of a relationship with the "friendship girl" had she still been seeing the rest of her group? Maybe not. However, circumstances being what they were, she seemed to be just as much a loner now as he was.

Perhaps it was time for a change.

- - - - - - - - - - -

Anzu stood before her door, reluctant to enter her apartment. Going over the events of the night before (skipping over some notable ones) she couldn't find anything to indicate to Kaiba there was a fight in her living room. There was no way in hell she was telling _that_ story to the overbearing egomaniac behind her; knowing him, the next time she came home she'd probably find all her things moved into a different apartment- across town.

Her companion raised his eyebrow, questioning-he'd noticed her stalling. "Are you afraid to let me in, Anzu?"

"No!" She huffed. "Why would I be?" 'Other than having a _bullet hole_ in the ceiling…' She finished silently.

He crowded closer to her, resting a hand on the door beside her face. "Well, the temptation to jump me again might prove to be too much once we're in private."

Despite knowing she did nothing wrong, an embarrassed blush stole across her features anyway. Twisting the knob, she pushed the door inward causing Kaiba to stumble slightly. "You wish." She strode into the room, tossing her purse on the coffee table. Turning to deliver another scathing comment to her guest, she paused.

What was sitting on the breakfast counter was not going to make this evening any better.

Ryou idlely spun the butcher knife in his nimble fingers, legs swinging slightly in the air.

_This_ was going to be fun.

The tension in the room tripled when the two young men met each others gaze. Kaiba stood just inside the apartment, letting the door close behind him. "What the _hell_ are you doing here?"

Yes, about as much fun as a root canal.

Ryou gave a small smile as he hopped down from the counter. "I was…retrieving an item of mine."

Kaiba looked from the white haired boy in front of him, to Anzu and back again. "Why would your knife be here?"

Ryou did…something that made the large utensil seem to disappear. Casting a glance at Anzu she read as saying "You didn't tell him?" he opened his mouth to correct the oversight.

Anzu spoke up quickly. "It was-a practical joke!" She threw a glare at her friend. "A very _bad_ one."

"Who in their right mind would use a butcher knife in a practical joke?"

'Well' she thought to herself 'Nobody ever claimed Bakura was in his right mind in the _first_ place…' One look at Ryou and she knew he was thinking something along the same lines. He shook his head while she hid a smile. Smiling at the young man in front of him, Ryou brushed his concerns aside. "It's nothing you need to worry about."

A smirk came across Kaiba's features that wasn't too friendly. "Of course I'm going to worry…about my _girlfriend_."

The humor fell from the white haired boy's face at his remark, and Anzu huffed angrily. "I didn't say yes-"

"Yet" Kaiba finished for her. She sighed and buried her face in her hands. "You really _are_ an arrogant bastard, you know that?" Lifting her head, she noticed the marked absence of her second guest. 'Hey, where did he-'

He had felt Ryou leaving when he turned to look at her. A contented sigh sounded in his mind; this particular rival was taken care of easily enough. He mused to himself-perhaps matters of the heart were easier than that of his company?

Anzu walked towards her open door. 'I wish he hadn't left so suddenly…' She felt the presence of her last guest beside her, and suddenly felt tired. Turning, she found him standing with his arms crossed, a vacant look in his eyes. He must have felt her gaze, however, as it took only a few moments for him to focus on her.

"So…" he began.

Anzu merely lifted a brow in response.

"What are your plans for tonight?"

She looked at him as though he were crazy. "It's one in the morning. On a Saturday-one of my days off. The only thing on my mind is a warm bed."

He couldn't quite hold in the mocking smile as he responded. "And where do I fit in?"

Kaiba found himself suddenly standing in the hallway of the apartment building. "My apartment's not big enough to fit your ego-so outside with you." Well, that was a surprise. 'Perhaps this 'relationship' thing is not so cut-and-dried after all.' With that last, lingering thought, he smiled and started home.

- - - - - - - - - - -

She may have been tired, but her mind couldn't rest. 'What do I do?' It was as though she'd entered some parallel universe (cue the "Twilight Zone" theme, please). She paced the living room of her apartment, worrying.

Intellectually, she knew she had a choice. Kaiba couldn't push her into a relationship if she didn't really want it. On the one hand, she knew exactly what her friends would say about it. Images flashed through her head, briefly depicting a crazed Joey attempting an exorcism on an angry Anzu tied to a chair. She smothered a self-deprecating giggle.

She barely knew anything about him. He was dedicated to his brother, and his company, yes. He was also freaking scary when pissed, overbearing, intimidating, and an all-around asshole. She had to be _nuts_ to even consider it, given their past.

On the other hand (she sighed-there seemed to _always_ be another hand), he seemed to have done, if not a 180°, certainly some sort of change of heart. He seemed so worried about her, even if he did go the wrong way about it. And then tonight, when he confronted her, there was something…desperate in his look. She didn't know quite what to make of that, but it seemed to give him a more human-like personality.

He was also the first male to have ever expressed any sort of romantic feelings towards her.

Anzu flopped on her bed, staring blankly at her ceiling. Did he know what he was getting into? Maybe tonight, he'd go home, and regret everything he said. Her heart sank at that thought-but it was a possibility she wouldn't ignore. 'I guess I'll have to wait and see. If he still feels the same Monday…well, I'll deal with it then.'

She groaned, and buried her head in her pillow. "I can't believe my first kiss was with _Kaiba_…"

- - - - - - - - - - -

A silent figure jumped from his sentry post on the fire escape to the railings of the building next door without a sound. Climbing up the few flights of metal stairs that ran down the building, he reached the roof top but didn't slow down. He ran it's length, and jumped to the next building top, pausing slightly to look into the alley below.

The sound of cracking knuckles broke the silence. 'I need to find something to kill…'

'Why the _hell_ do you even care, Bakura?'

His eyes flashed in the darkness. 'Who said I cared?' he growled.

Ryou snorted to himself, but common sense told him not to bait his other half at the moment. He settled himself in for a long night.

- - - - - - - - - - -

- - - - - - - - - - -

A/N

I don't know if I like this chapter as well as the others…this story's been a lot of firsts for me. First fluff, first romance, first chapter written while on meds…

I'm not joking about that last one either. Lol. 

-Aspen XIII


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